Africa: Faces in Words

Important insights from last week, not to be missed...

Women of Sudan. Courtesy: womenforwomen.org

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - New weekly update on the breaking stories in the African nations.

Unseen, unheard; no one should be the bearer of these two words. Unfortunately, Africa is often in the forefront of this association.

Our common humanity should change this; we should never look away because it is too distant. Our commitment to one another, to human rights, and the ability to learn should always keep us connected no matter the severity and complexity of problems.

Important insights from last week, not to be missed:

Famine in Somalia - High Malnutrition Rates in Gedo Region. Three nutrition surveys conducted in Gedo region in December 2010, by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit FSNAU indicate that malnutrition levels have increased to 25 percent, showing a deterioration from six months ago when the rates were around 17.9 percent. In an alert issued on 10 January, FSNAU said that all the three livelihoods of pastoralists, agro pastoralists and populations living along the Juba River are equally affected. However, FSNAU says despite the situation being grim, mortality rates have not increased in any of the surveyed areas. http://www.medeshivalley.com/2011/01/famine-in-somalia-report-photos.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+medeshivalley/JLIj+(Medeshivalley.com)

Six Girls Raped in Darfur - An armed group raped six girls between the ages of 14 to 20 years old in area Dorma near Tawila in North Darfur. http://195.190.28.213/node/8454

UN Warns Sudan Referendum Puts Children at Risk - The U.N. Children’s Fund warns Sudanese children are at high risk of becoming separated from families who leave their homes to take part in southern Sudan’s independence referendum. UNICEF says children are particularly vulnerable during large-scale population movements such as the one occurring right now in the Sudan. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/UN-Warns-Sudan-Referendum-Put-Children-at-Risk-113277384.html

Nigeria, Jos killings escalate - THE cycle of violence in Plateau State continued yesterday as, Wareng, a hamlet in Riyom Local Government Area was attacked leaving 18 people, mostly children, dead. http://allafrica.com/stories/201101120094.html"

Uganda, Muslim women back condoms for HIV prevention - Some Muslim women in western Uganda are demanding that a new HIV prevention programme for Muslims include condom promotion, going against calls by local religious leaders for the programme to be limited to messages on faithfulness and abstinence. http://www.plusnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=91606">

Q + A, Ivory Coast’s humanitarian crisis - The West African state of Ivory Coast has been in turmoil since a Nov. 28 presidential election that both candidates, Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo claim to have won. Ouattara is widely regarded internationally as having legitimately won the election. http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/qa-ivory-coasts-humanitarian-crisis

9 Darfur Activists released after nearly 3 months in jail; 3 still held - The detainees, who were released last Thursday night, are: Dirar Adam Dirar, Abulgasim Mohamed Ali Hamouda, Zakaria Yagoub Ibrahim, Adam Al Nur Adam, Ibrahim Adam Ismail, Khaled Ishag Mohamed Yusef, Manal Mohamed Ahmed, Aisha Al-Nur Jibril, Aziza Ali Idris. http://195.190.28.213/node/8455

Self Immolation Protests spread across North Africa - The self-immolation of a 26-year-old Tunisian a month ago that set off a popular uprising is inspiring similar acts of gruesome protest across North Africa. In Algeria, four men have set themselves on fire in the last week, and one man in Egypt and another in Mauritania attempted to do so on Monday. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/world/africa/18egypt.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Fighting Hunger with ideas from Africa - As population growth, resource depletion and climate change strain the world’s food supplies, a new report highlights solutions from some unexpected places. Sub-Saharan Africa harbors most of the world’s hungriest countries. The report from the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington, DC-based environmental group, however, says the continent also is home to a wealth of ideas that can help the world fight hunger and poverty. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Fighting-Hunger-With-Ideas-From-Africa-113881464.html

Alysha Atma spends many hours working on projects that support and benefit the beleaguered people of African nations who spend way too much time off the western media's radar. This writer explains that she is a culmination of all her experiences, most importantly knowledge she says, and all that she still needs to learn; lessons of love, laughter and the extraordinary giving of both young and old. She says she has the enormous fortune of learning from the best; every person around her, and the amazing strength and fortitude of those she has never met but will always strive to listen to. "I continue to work and write because I believe in the power of community and the power of one, both contradictory to each other and yet can move together in a very powerful way. I feel a responsibility to use my place, freedoms and connections here in the US to stand up and yell for those who need my voice and actions. I have seen such strength in my fellow humans that I cannot even begin to comprehend, they have traveled distances, have gone without food, water, shelter and safety for days and weeks at a time. I have a responsibility as a fellow human to put our common humanity before anything else. Everyone deserves to look towards tomorrow, to dream of a safe future and to have a peaceful present." You can write to Alysha Atma at: alysha.atma@gmail.com